Frimley Park Hospital bosses have admitted plans to move to a new site could mean some patients from Berkshire may have to go elsewhere.

Plans are in the works to move Frimley Park Hospital to a new, much bigger site as the current main hospital building was built using concrete that now risks becoming unsafe.

Bosses say the new hospital will be much bigger and better – but acknowledged the move will affect patients and staff from Berkshire, as they gave an update to Bracknell Forest Council.

Councillor Georgia Pickering said she wanted to make sure that Bracknell residents wouldn’t lose access to the ‘excellent’ maternity care at Frimley Park.

She said: “Residents across Bracknell including myself have been lucky enough to choose Frimley Park to have our babies in, and maternity care.

“I would like to make sure that the change of venue doesn’t mean that people in this borough no longer have the excellent maternity care that Frimley Park has offered.”

She asked whether a move would mean patients from Bracknell would have to go to other hospitals such as the smaller Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot.

And councillor Caroline Egglestone said plans should make sure other hospitals – such as Royal Berkshire in Reading – would have the capacity to take on patients from Bracknell if needed.

Nigel Foster, senior responsible officer for the new build at Frimley Health Trust, said the trust is currently drawing up a shortlist of new sites. He acknowledged that even a move of half a mile from the current site could affect Bracknell Forest residents.

He said: “We are conscious that anything which is moving half a mile away from the current Frimley Park site will have an impact on patients and on catchment areas.”

Carol Deans, Frimley Health Trust’s director of communications and engagements, said a survey of residents and staff found access by car and public transport was a priority.

She said the trust would ‘consider that quite closely’ as it decided on a new site.

Mr Foster said the trust had considered staying at the current site. But he said this wasn’t possible as the new hospital needs room to be twice the size – with single rooms for each patient.

He also said the goal of having the new hospital built by the end of 2030 was ‘challenging’ but ‘doable.’

The update came at a meeting of Bracknell Forest Council’s overview and scrutiny commission on Thursday, February 29.

Councillor Megan Wright – responsible for health– said she supported the plans, but that she wants to make sure patients and staff from Bracknell Forest can get to the new site easily.

She said: “We will need to be assured of the best transport solutions for our residents who will be affected by any new location for the hospital.

“Transport plans will need to take into consideration not just Bracknell town but the whole of the borough.”